Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1896 — To Keep Horses from Balling Up. [ARTICLE]

To Keep Horses from Balling Up.

There is a well-known Detroit physician who has been looking for years for some means to prevent snow “balling” on the hoofs of ids horses. Y CHI' rday he discovered what he has be n looking for. For years lie has tried every sort of device that In* could conceive of or that had been brought to hl« attention by other people, but the snow was always "balling” up hi the hoofs just the same, much to the danger of the horse and to his own discomfiture Yesterday he was coming down Woodward avenue and the same old trouble was wearing on his patience. (Jett'nc out of his buggy he went into a drug store, and, asking for some drug ho wanted, incidentally remarked that l.e would like something, too, that would prevent snow “balling” up on ids horse. “Well,’’ said the druggist, “I should think yon ought to know how to slop that." (living the doctor two ounces of glycerine, he told him to divide it evenly on the four hoofs of his ho.se. The physician took the prescription, and applied it as told. lie drove on down town, and getting out looked at the horse to find that there was no snow whatever on any hoof. It went<*d a complete cure. Oil and lard have often been tiled, but opposed by veterinarians ou the ground that they keep the moisture away from the hoof, thereby doing it Injury. This falls of appllcat'on to glycerine, for it will mix with water. It will not injure the hoof, and it seems, will keep the hoof free from snow.